Today, Calgary Alderman Brian Pincott made public a proposed bylaw to ban shark fin products, coinciding with the release of an opinion poll showing that 88% of respondents stating an opinion were supportive of such a move.

“The motion by Alderman Pincott is the latest positive step in the growing campaign to end this unsustainable trade,” said Rob Sinclair, Executive Director of WildAid Canada. “This is yet another example of Canadian municipalities taking action to counter this global threat.”

This week, Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group and Virgin Unite, joined WildAid to swim with 300 whale sharks off the coast of Cancun to demonstrate that the economic benefits of shark tourism can drastically outweigh the value derived from killing a shark for its fins -- the lifetime economic value of a single whale shark can exceed US$2 million, compared to a few hundred dollars to kill the same shark for its fins.

In China, the Government Offices Administration of the State Council has reportedly agreed to stop serving shark fin soup at official banquets, to take effect in the next 1-3 years. The administration was responding to a proposal submitted by 30 officials from the National People’s Congress, spearheaded by delegate Ding Liguo, who announced the news on his microblog on Friday, according to Global Times.